


Unrequited

by cloudedink



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies)
Genre: Bittersweet Ending, Cheating, F/F, F/M, Healing, Hurt Nebula (Marvel), Major Original Character(s), Mantis needs a hug, Minor Gamora/Peter Quill, Nebula is pretty oblivious, POV Mantis (Marvel), Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), The Author Regrets Everything, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, Unrequited Love, the author is sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2018-12-22
Packaged: 2019-09-24 12:50:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17100917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cloudedink/pseuds/cloudedink
Summary: unrequitedadjective(of a feeling, especially love) not returned or rewarded.





	Unrequited

Mantis was nearly half asleep when the mysterious person crashed into the Benatar. The sound made her bolt awake. The sight of yet another person crashing into the ship caused her blood to run cold. She still did not know a lot, but she knew that someone landing on their windshield like what had happened six years prior was not good. Had another planet been destroyed? Was Thanos back, even though Nebula, who was in her bunk sleeping, had killed him?

Where was Gamora? She glanced over to see that she wasn't in her normal spot? Then again, neither was Peter, or Groot, or Rocket, maybe she wasn't even there, maybe-

“Mantis.” She looked up sharply to see Gamora kneeling in front of her. Mantis blinked once, twice, to make sure that she was not seeing anything, that everything was real. “Mantis, are you alright?”

She took a few shaky breaths before nodding her head. “Where are the others?” Her voice wobbled as she strained to get the words out.

“They're taking care of whatever, or whoever, that is.” Mantis nodded, tension releasing itself as she realized everyone was safe. “Hey,” Gamora gave her a light smile before standing up and extending her hand out to her. “Come here.”

“Like, hug? You?”

“Yes.”

Mantis hesitated before she stiffly wrapped her arms around Gamora. When she felt her hug her back, the stiffness lessened. “You don't need to hide the attacks you know. I know, more than anyone, that they make you feel weak, like you need to hide in a closet and stay there forever, but they are normal. Hell, I barely got sleep last night because of one, but they aren't as common anymore. It gets easier, it does.”

Mantis stepped away from Gamora slowly nodding again. She wiped the tears off her face that she did not realize were there. “You're alright,” Gamora reassured.

“Yeah,” Mantis murmured.

“Come on, let's go see what's going on.”

She trailed a step behind Gamora as they walked to the main part of the ship. The loud noises and multiple emotions from opposite ends of the spectrum caused Mantis's head to ache.

“Tell me where she is!”

“No!”

“I said tell me!”

“Leave before I blast yer head off!” Rocket lifted the gun onto his shoulder.

“I am Groot!”

“Everyone stop yelling and tell me what's going on,” Gamora interrupted.

Mantis rubbed her head to try and ease the ache.

“This girl just crashed into our ship and demanded to know where your sister is,” Peter explained.

“Where _is_ Nebula? Can someone just tell me?”

“Shut up, Scum.”

“Rocket!” Gamora glared at the raccoon. She crossed her arms and looked back at the girl who looked strangely Terran. “Why do you want to know?”

“I'd assume you of all people would know, Gamora. Nebula talks about you all the time. I'd assume she would've at least told you about me.”

“Who are you?”

“I'm her girlfriend. There, happy now?”

Mantis's head shot up at the mention of girlfriend. Since when did Nebula have a girlfriend? When did this happen? She stared at the girl for a few moments with her jaw hanging open slightly. Her chest started to hurt even more than her head. The overwhelming urge to cry suddenly flooded over her. Maybe it wasn't true. Maybe this girl just said that and there was another reason why she was here.

Everything sounded fuzzy. Mantis could sort of make out that Gamora had yelled for Nebula, and through blurry vision she could see Nebula confirm that this was, in fact, her girlfriend. Mantis felt the urge to get out of the room as quickly as she could before she lost it and started to break. She soon found herself in the bunks, gasping for breath and trying to fight off the urge to start sobbing. She sat down on her bunk and squeezed the plush Build-a-Bear she had gotten when they were on Terra. A few tears managed to break free.

“Hey...” Mantis looked up to see her brother standing in the doorway. “What's wrong?” Peter sat down on her bed next to her.

“Nothing,” she whispered.

“You're clutching onto Kevin Bacon and tears are staining your face. Something's wrong.”

“Cheddar.”

“What?”

“His name is Cheddar Bacon, not Kevin Bacon.”

He humored her. “I'm sorry, Cheddar. Now, Mantis, what's wrong. You were fine before Nebula's girlfrie- wait, do you like Nebula?”

Mantis continued staring over Cheddar's head at the ground. She felt a new spring of tears well up in her eyes. She did not want to admit it. Deep down Mantis felt really scared that Peter would tease her and that Gamora would grow resentful of her, and she had finally stopped being terrified of the Zen-Whoberi.

“You do like her.” Mantis glanced up at her brother, the new tears in her eyes giving away her answer. And then Peter started laughing. Mantis felt her chest clench up. Her grip on her bear tightened as she felt the tears on her face. Shame washed over her as he continued laughing. “I never would've guessed,” he laughed, “Of all people?”

“Stop. Please,” she murmured through her quiet sobs, “I feel bad enough.”

Peter's laughs ceased. “Frick, Mantis, I didn't mean it like that.”

“You didn't?”

“No.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in. “You're my lil' sister, I would never laugh _at_ you for liking someone. It's just, it's shocking you know? I just, I didn't expect _you_ to like my girlfriend's  _sister_ , you know?”

She leaned into her brother, still clutching onto her bear, still crying. “You'll be alright,” he reassured, “Everything will work out.”

They both looked up upon hearing Gamora clear her throat. “Is everything alright?”

“Yeah,” they both said simultaneously.

Gamora sighed before changing the subject completely. “There's something about Elara.” She paced the room, running her hands through her hair. “She just seems, off. I don't know what it is, but I don't trust her.”

“It's just cause she's dating your sister. Nebula was the same way about me when she found out.” Peter shrugged.

“No,” Gamora shook her head. “It's not. Did you get that sense of distrust from her as well, Mantis?”

“I don't think I'm the best person to ask,” she mumbled.

“Why not?”

Mantis looked up at Peter. “Do you want me to tell her?” he mouthed. She nodded and sat up, staring at the ground. Her shoulders shook as she took deep breaths to calm herself down. She knew Gamora would hate her afterwards, but she had dug herself into a hole. She had to tell her somehow.

“Mantis kinda likes Nebula.”

She glanced up at Gamora, expecting to see anger, but instead all she saw was a small smile. Mantis looked at her in confusion. “You aren't mad?”

“Hell no. I suspected it the whole time. You are terrible at discretely staring at someone.”

“Am I the only one who didn't know this?” Peter exclaimed, “How could you tell, but I couldn't? _I'm her brother._ ”

“It's a girl thing.”

Peter sighed a sigh of exasperation, causing Mantis to slightly giggle. Her eyelids started to feel heavy, so she scooted away from Peter and laid down, curling up on her side. Peter and Gamora seemed to get the message that she wanted to sleep, because they got up and left the bunks.

 

**

 

Mantis bolted awake sobbing. She sat up sharply and covered her mouth to try and muffle to sobs. She glanced over at Drax's empty bunk which caused her to cry harder. It was, after all, her fault he was dead. She was supposed to be on lookout, but fell asleep, and did not wake up in time to warn him of his upcoming attacker. She woke up to him dead, half buried in the ground. Her entire body shook at the memory, which had just replayed in her head as she slept. Mantis couldn't keep staring at the empty bed, so she got up and slightly stumbled into the main room, suppressing more sobs because everyone was still asleep. Well, everyone but Nebula it seemed.

She sat down next to her, sniffling softly and staring out of the viewport at all of the stars. She wiped her eyes and nose with the long sleeve of her shirt and glanced at Nebula. She stared out at the stars silently, when suddenly, she broke the silence with a question.

“Do you remember the first time someone treated you like you weren't just a tool or a weapon?”

“I- what?”

“Mantis.” Nebula reached out and grabbed her wrist, turning and looking her in the eyes. She glanced up, meeting her gaze, trying to ignore the painfully loud beating of her heart in her chest and how Nebula's hand easily fit around her entire wrist. “Do you?”

“Yeah, I think so? I'm not sure. Drax-” she stopped, having to take a shaky breath to try and calm herself down. She felt Nebula's grip on her wrist tighten, hopefully out of reassurance. “-Originally called me ugly and a pet, so?”

“That's not it then.”

“I think it was when after I woke up during the fight with Ego. You asked me if I was okay, I think? Gamora was unconscious and I don't know where Drax was. Or maybe it was after Gamora grabbed me by the neck and lifted me in the air. He told her to let me go. I think. I don't know.” She shook her head. “What's the point of this, Neb?”

Nebula sighed. “I can't believe I'm about to get this vulnerable,” she muttered. She looked up and out at the stars. “Okay. So besides you guys and Kraglin and well, the few Avengers who _didn't_ approach me as if I was a time bomb waiting to explode, everyone has treated me as if I'm not trustworthy. I mean, I understand it, but sometimes people look at me like I'm going to attack them, even though I'm not that person anymore. I know that six years ago I craved that kind of response, but I kind of hate it now. It's no doubt that word had spread between planets that I killed Thanos, so how come people still treat me as if I'm that deadly assassin from six years ago?”

Mantis looked at her shocked. “Who are you?”

“I know, it's kind of crazy now. I guess that's what years of trauma does to you. You can only take so much before you break.” she laughed nervously before looking at Mantis who wasn't laughing.

“Did you drink something?”

“Probably. Damn nightmares. Anyways,” she released the hold on Mantis's wrist and placed her hands in her lap. “When I met Elara, she didn't treat me like I was a walking time bomb or someone who had an entire lifetime of training from Thanos under her belt. She just, like, talked to me. And, well, we talked more. Met up pretty often. I opened up to her more about my past, and then I finally mustered up the courage to ki-”

“I'm pretty tired,” Mantis interrupted her.

“Oh, okay. If you're just saying that because for some reason you're uncomfortable or jealous I can just change the topic.”

“Why-why would I be jealous?” she stammered. She started getting up to run and hide, afraid that Nebula was figuring her out. She could feel her face heating up.

“Because pretty much everyone on this ship is dating someone except you.”

“Oh. Right.” she laughed nervously and rubbed her hand along the back of her neck.

Mantis got up and started to leave before Nebula stopped her. “Mantis?”

She turned around. “What?”

“You'll find the right guy someday. It just takes time.”

She started coughing from shock, and then Mantis tripped over a rug that she didn't see and fell forward onto her face. A small squeak escaped her before she scampered away and hid in her bunk under the covers.

 

**

 

Mantis stood behind the door of Peter and Gamora's room. She had meant to ask them a question, but when she heard Gamora yelling about something, she just stood there, waiting for when she would calm down.

“-I just want to kill her!”

“I'm with you there, but you can't.”

“Watch me, Peter.”

The door was violently flung open by Gamora causing Mantis to jump. “What's wrong?”

“Is anyone here?” Definitely Elara.

“Speak of the Devil,” Gamora muttered under her breath before going down the hall.

Mantis looked over at Peter who was standing in the doorframe with his head in his hands. “Peter, what's going on?”

He sighed before looking at her. “Gamora, erm, overheard Elara cheating on Nebula.”

 _“What?”_ Her jaw dropped. “Is she sure?”

“She saw her with someone else and said that she heard her talk about how apparently she wasn't getting anything out of the relationship and couldn't find a way to break up with Nebula because she's technically a weapon and could be set off at any minute.”

“That's it.”

“Mantis,” he reached out a grabbed her wrist, causing her to sharply turn around. “Don't”

“Let go of me, Peter.” She closed her eyes as heat glowed from her antennae and Peter released the hold on her wrist. She followed Gamora down the hall to see her being held back by Nebula as she yelled at Elara.

“I can't believe you!”

“Gamora calm down.”

And Elara was not saying anything, just standing with her arms crossed. She was smirking a little.

_That bitch._

Mantis walked up to Elara and slapped her. “Get the hell away from Nebula before I break your neck.”

“Will someone please tell me what is going on?” Nebula looked at Gamora and Elara and finally Mantis. She looked away, not actually wanting to see her gaze.

“Are you going to tell her, Elara, or should I?”

“Tell her what?” Her voiced sounded too innocent.

“Fine I guess I'll be breaking my sister's heart. Elara's cheating on you,” Gamora said. She didn't sound like she was sugarcoating it, just saying as it is. Mantis glanced up to see what Nebula's reaction would be.

Her face fell, then her expression hardened, all within two seconds. “Is this true?”

“Yeah. It is. Sorry Nebula but I couldn't break up with you without fearing that you would slice my head clean off.” Elara shrugged, looking like she didn't care. Mantis slapped her again.

“Okay. Wow.” Nebula's expression stayed the same, but the hurt in her eyes was viable. She nodded a few times before slapping Elara as well. “Get out. I don't want to see you again.”

“Does this-”

“I said _get out,_ Elara.”

“Okay.”

As Elara left Mantis looked over at Nebula. “Are you okay?”

Nebula looked back at her. “Yeah. Yeah.”

She had a feeling that Nebula wasn't trying to convince _her_ that she was okay.

 

**

 

A few hours later, deep into the night when everyone was supposed to be asleep, she found Nebula sitting by herself in front of the viewport, looking out over the construction that was going on to continue rebuilding Xandar. Mantis sat down next to her and glanced over at her.

“Why are you up?” Nebula asked, not once taking her view off of the construction.

“I couldn't sleep. I- I can leave though. If you want.”

“No you can stay.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“I'm not alright,” Nebula said suddenly. She looked down at her lap and shrugged.

“Elara?”

“Don't even say her name,” she sighed. “I just,” she glanced over at Mantis. “I thought she sort of loved me, you know? I felt like I was beginning to heal after everything that has happened and now, now I'm not sure anyone loves me.”

 _I do._ “Gamora does. The team does.”

“Yeah but, in _that way._ I'm jealous of my sister. She has that.”

 _Believe me, I'm jealous of my brother._ “Yeah.”

“Maybe I should just give up on that. Who actually needs love?”

“Everyone needs love, Neb.” _Especially you._

“Yeah but if no one loves me then there's no point.”

 _I. Love. You._ “I know someone does. You just don't know it yet.”

“I doubt it.”

 _Do I need to scream it?_ “Don't. Who knows, maybe she's closer than you know?” _Like, sitting next to you closer._

Nebula looked over at her. “You're a good friend, Mantis, you know that?”

 _Just a good friend?_ “Th-thanks.”

She glanced over at Nebula as she rested her head on her shoulder. They sat there staring out at the horizon, the only sound in Mantis's ears was the sound of her own heartbeat, threatening to giveaway her feelings. Unrequited love sucked.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!!!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading this fic. It's been in the works since around October ever since I had a weird dream that involved an unfamiliar girl asking where Nebula was. 
> 
> If you liked it please leave kudos and comments as they mean the world to me and make my day.


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